The American Civil War

Produced by H. Fournier and Co. of Spain, the American Civil War Playing Cards depicts the most famous people and battles of the war. Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Ulysses Grant and Robert E. Lee are in predictable places of honor, with the battles of Gettysburg and Appomattox represented as well. The pictures of people are simple portraits, and for the battles, the images serve as little more than placeholders for the names. I can hardly blame the artist, though - it's very hard to capture the essence of a battle in a 2 by 3 inch rectangle.

To bridge that gap between the events and their depictions, the deck comes with a pamphlet offering a one- or two-paragraph description of each person or event depicted. These descriptions aren't deep or insightful, but they encapsulate the basic facts, and provide a general introduction to the major events of the war. And Americans well familiar with the war can easily see just how much is glossed over; and they can begin to appreciate what is omitted from the decks we see about foreign events. In addition to the paragraphs about the individual cards, the center of the pamphlet provides a simple map of the U.S. at the time, showing what states fought for which side. The foreword is a concise explanation of the intent of the deck.

The kings, queens and jacks of these playing cards depict the outstanding figures of the Civil War. The aces represent some of the most important battles; the fours are decorated with guns and the famous Monitor and Merrimack.

The design on the backs of the cards was inspired by the insignia on the pro-Lincoln badges worn by the Republicans during the campaign for his election in 1864.

The suiits of spades and diamonds are devoted to the Union; those of hearts and clubs to the Confederacy.